Sharks devour whale carcass off Rottnest Island

Chalpat Sonti and Aja Styles

Several large sharks have been spotted feeding on a whale carcass near Rottnest Island.

The RAC rescue chopper reported numerous sharks, ranging from 1.5 metres to five metres in length, had been spotted between Parker Point and Jackson Rocks this morning.

Two great whites were initially seen feeding on the dead mammal, but later footage showed tiger sharks - also a notorious man-eater species - attacking the carcass.

Department of Fisheries regional manager Tony Cappelluti said that his officers had not seen any white pointers but a couple more tiger sharks were seen feeding on the whale since the first two sharks captured on camera.

He warned that while the dead whale remained in the area, there was likely to be an ongoing risk of sharks nearby.

"They'll probably keep feeding for a number of days. We don't know how [the carcass] will end up, whether it will break into pieces or even come into shore; there's a whole lot of possibilities," he said.

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He said it would be up to the surf lifesavers, local authorities and the public to remain vigilant about whether it was safe to venture into the water in coming days.

It is predicted that light winds will continue tomorrow, which may affect the direction that the carcass will float.

The beaches at Rottnest have not been closed because the sharks were about five kilometres from the island, local police said.